Steam-trap.



No. 768,595. PATENTED AUG. so; 1904.

- P. FRASER.

STEAM TRAP.

APPLIOATION FILED JUNE 7, 1904.

H0 MODEL.

UNITED '1 STATES Patented August 30, 1904.

PETER FRASER, or GERMISTON, TRANSVAAL.

STEAM-TRAP.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 768,595, datedAugust 30, 1904,

Application filed June '7, 1904. Serial No. 211,533. (No model.)

To allv whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, PETER FRASER, a subject of the King of England, residing at Germiston, in the Colony of the Transvaal, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Steam-Traps, of which the following is a specification.

This invention consists of improvements in steam-traps for collecting and separating water from steam, and it is also applicable for separating liquids from other gaseous fluids.

The apparatus may be employed for accumulating the water of condensation from steam-pipes and for automatically discharging the same, while preventing the escape of the steam, or it may be employed in connection with the air-receivers of air-compressing plant for removing grease, water, or the like.

The apparatus operates equally well with or without pressure. In it the steam does not play on the valve-face, and the valve is kept closed until the. requisite volume of water has accumulated to operate the valve, so that cold air is excluded or prevented from getting into the main steam-pipes or airreceiver when the steam is shut off or the air-compressing plant stopped, thus obviating rapid contraction and consequent fracture of the pipes, &c. In the operation of the apparatus nothing but water is ejected-when it is under a pressure of steam or air, and the area of the valve-opening may be made of a size suitable for any desired pressure.

The several operative parts of the apparatus are all attached to the cover of the receiver, which simplifies the construction and facilitates access to the same. The movements of the operative parts are very short, so that they are not likely to get out of order, and the valve operatingon the principle of the slide-valve, with the pressure of the steam or air on the back of the valve, the action becomes more eflEicient with use.

The invention will now be described in detail by aid of the accompanying drawings, in Which- Figure 1 represents a longitudinal sectional elevation of the apparatus with the valve closed. Fig. 2 is a similar view illustrating the position the parts assume to open the water.

valve to open the outlet for the water, and Fig. 3 is an elevation of the spherical weight.

In the construction of the appliance I provide a drum or cylindrical receiver A for the This drum A is located at the lowest point in the steam pipe or pipes which it is intended to serve, so that, all the water of condensation flows out of the steam-pipes into it. The cylinder or receiver A is, as shown in the drawings, preferably cast in one piece with supports B B, upon which it stands. In the top of the receiver A is provided an inlet 6, which may be formedwith an internal screw-thread, into which the end of the steam-pipe or a branch pipe from the steam-pipe may be screwed to place the steam pipe or pipes in communication with the interior of' the receiver A. One end of the cylinderA is closed, and the other end of the cylinder is fitted with a, cover O, which may be bolted to a flange a formed round the open end of the cylinder, or be otherwise attached thereto in any convenient manner.

On the cover C on the inside are formed two lugs c, which support a pin or pivot c. On the pin 0 is pivoted one end of a lever D, which at its outer and free end has attached to it a float E. The float E is preferably of the shape shown or made semispherical in its lower portion and flatter in the upper portion, so as to allow the float E to rise higher in the. cylinder'to lift the lever D than would be possible were the float E .made truly spherical.

On the inside of the cover O beneath the lugs c, supporting the pin 0', is formed a rectangular boss or projection F. In the rectangular projection F is formed a vertical hole f, in which is located a valve G. Y A recess f is formed in the end or front of the rectangular boss F, exposing the front of the valve G or intersecting the vertical hole f, in

which the valve G is arranged.

g is the port or passage forming the outlet forv the water through the valve G. It is preferably made flaring or bell-mouthed.

In the boss or projection F is formed an outlet-port whichcommunicates withahole 0 formed through the front of the cover O. The hole 0 may be formed with a screw-thread 0 into which may be screwed'a pipe for carrying off the water when it passes through the valve G.

In Fig. 1 the valve G is shown in the position it assumes when the valve is closed, and in Fig. 2 it is shown in its open position. In this latter position the valve-spindle Gr rests on the inside of the receiver A below the boss F, which insures it being brought into coincidence with the outlet f 2 in the boss F when the lever D is raised by the float E.

At the front of the rectangular projection F is fixed a vertical rod or support H, in the upper extremity of which is pivoted a lever J. One arm, j, of this lever J projects into a niche or recess g in the upper end of the valve-spindle G and serves for raising the valve G to close it in the manner hereinafter described. The rod H may be fixed by means of the screw or stud it, which screw or stud It may also serve for fixing a spring It, provided for keeping the valve Gon its seat in the hole f in the projection F. The spring h rests on a flat surface formed on the front of the valve G.

On the end of the lever D, pivoted to the cover C, is arranged a spherical weight K. This sphere K is formed with an annular groove 76 round the center, or it has the form of two hemispheres connected by a short cylindrical piece at the center. This is fully shown in Fig. 3. The width of the groove is round the sphere K is slightly greater than the thickness of the lever D, so that when it is placed on the lever the hemispheres project to either side of the lever D and serve to keep it in its position thereon. The lever D is formed with two horns or projections d d and with a straight edge (Z leading into a recess 0?. The spherical weight K works backward and forward between the horns or projections d d. In Fig. 1 it is shown in the position it assumes when the float E is at the bottom of the receiver A. In this position it is in engagement with the outer arm 7" of the lever J and out of engagement with the upper end of the valve-spindle G. The cylindrical connecting-piece k between the hemispheres then takes up a position in the curve formed by the inside of the horn or projection cl. As the water accumulates the float E rises and raises the outer end of the lever D. When it has raised the lever D sufficiently far to incline the straight edge 6Z2 in the direction of the pivot c, the sphere K then rolls down the inclined edge on the cylindrical piece k and drops into the recess 6?. As it drops into the recess it engages the top of the valve-spindle G and depresses it, and so opens the port 9 in the valve G to the port f in the rectangular boss F, communicating with the water-outlet 0 In its lowest and open position the bottom of the valve G rests on the bottom of the cylinder A beneath the rectangular projection F. The several parts remain in this position, and the water continues to pass out of the cylinder A through the valve G until the waterlevel falls suifleiently to permit the sphere or weight K to roll down the straight edge (i which will now be inclined in a downward direction from the recess d. The horn d is curved inward, and as the float E, and with it the lever D, falls the sphere K is supported by the valve-spindle G in the recess d until the curved edge of the horn (Z pushes it forward onto the straight edge (Z down which it rolls into the recess formed by the front horn or projection (Z. As it rolls down the straight edge the weight K engages the other arm, j, of the lever J, which lever J thereupon raises the valve G, and so closes the outlet (5 for the Water.

What I claim as my invention, and desire to protect by Letters Patent, is

1. In a steam-trap or means for separating liquids from gaseous fluids in combination, a receptacle into which the steam or gaseous fluid is admitted and in which the water accumulates, a lever pivoted at one extremity in said receiver and carrying a float at the other end, a valve controlling an outlet-port for the water, and a weight mounted on the lever operating to open said valve when the float and lever rise and to rest on said valve so as to close it when the float and lever fall, substan tially as described.

2. In a steam-trap or means for separating liquids from gaseous fluids in combination, a receptacle into which the steam or gaseous fluid is admitted and in which the water is collected, a lever pivoted at one extremity in said receiver and formed with a recess and a straight edge communicating with said recess at or in proximity to the pivoted extremity thereof, a float fixed at the outer end of the lever, a valve controlling an outlet-port for the water, a weight mounted on the lever and adapted when the float raises the lever to roll down the straight edge into the recess and engage the valve-spindle to open the valve, and when the float and lever fall to roll out of the recess down the straight edge and operate means for closing the valve, substantially as described.

8. In a steam-trap or means for separating liquids from gaseous fluids in combination, a receptacle or receiver into which the steam or gaseous fluid is admitted and in which the water accumulates, a cover for said receptacle, a lever pivot d at one extremity to said cover and formed with two horns or projections and a recess and straight edge between said projections, a float fixed to the other end of said lever, a valve attached to the cover and controlling an outlet formed through the cover for the water, a weight mounted on the lever and adapted when the float raises the lever to roll down the straight edge into the recess and engage the valve-spindle to open the valve and when the float and lever fall to be supported by the valve-spindle and be thrown onto the straight edge between the projecwhich is operated by the weight when it rolls tions to roll into 'engagementwith the other 13I'OJ6CU'JI1, a lever engaging the valve-spindle down the straight edge'to raise the valvespindle and close the valve, substantially as described. r

L. In a steam-trap or means for separating .liquids from gaseous fluids in combination, a

receptacle provided with an inlet at the top forthe steam or gaseous fluid, into which receiver the water drains and collects, a lever pivoted at one extremity in said receiver, a float fixed at the other end of the lever, an outlet for the water at the base of the receiver, a valve located in' the receiver beneath the pivoted end of the lever and adapted to be operated to open or close the water-outlet to the interior of the receiver and arranged so that the lower extremity of thevalve engages the bottom of the receiver when the valve is fully open, means for keeping the valve on' .to-close the port when the lever falls, substantially as described.

5. In a steam-trap or means for separating liquids from gaseous fluids in combination, a

cylindrical receiver open at one end, an aperture formed in the top thereof through which the steamor gaseous fluid and water or liquid are admitted, a cover fitted to the open end of said cylinder formed with lugs on the inside thereof and with a boss or projection in proximity to the bottom of the receiver through which boss an outlet is formed .for the Water draining into the receiver, a lever pivoted to the lugs formed on the cover, formed with two curved horns or projections and a recess and straight edge between said horns or projections, a weight, comprising two hemispheres joined by a central cylindrical piece, mounted 'on. the lever and adapted to roll between the horns on the cylindrical connectingpiece, a valve arranged in the boss on the cover projecting to the-under side of the lever and adapted to be engaged by and depressed when weight is supported by the valve-'spindle'and raised out of the recess onto the straight edge, and means operated by the weight which raise the valve to close the port when the lever and float'fall in the receiver, substantially as described.

6. In a steam-trap or means for separating liquids from gaseous fluids in combination,- the receiver A having the aperture 6 through which the steam or gaseous fluid and water or liquid enter the receiver, the legs B B connected to said receiver and the flange a formed round the open end thereof, the cover U fixed to the flange a on the receiver, having the lugs c on the inside thereof and the boss F secured to said cover in proximity to the bottom of the receiver, said boss having the outlet f for the water and the recess f in the front thereof, the pin 0' carried by the lugs 0, the lever D pivoted on the pin a and having the horns or projections (Z 03, said lever also having the recess 0Z therein and the straight edge (Z thereon, the float E on the outer end of the lever D, the weight K comprising the two hemispheres and the cylindrical connect ing-piece k joining the hemispheres together .and adapted to roll on the lever D between end of the valve Gr and operating to raise the valve to close the water-outlet f when the weight rolls down the straight edge 61 out of the recessd substantially as described.

In witnesswhereot' I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing -witnesses. v A

Y PETEHFRASER.

Witnesses: 1

CHAs. OVENDALE,

R. OVENDALE'. 

